By Wangkheimayum Bhupendra Singh
Unwanted incidents continue to hound the state, restricting development to a negligible level and escalating the sense of threat amongst the general populace in the process. Development here refers not only to the infrastructural beautification of the land but to the development of a whole society. Although infrastructural development, which in our state has still left a lot to be desired for, continues to be an important part of the development process; maturity of the society as a whole is also as much important. The state has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of devastating bomb attacks in recent times. Such escalation is witnessed, notwithstanding, the state chief minister’s address a fortnight or so ago at the 121st Raising Day of the Manipur Police department, that the recent spurt in bomb attacks in the state is not a sign of weakness of the police force, but because the police is considerate enough not to create problems for the people in the name of security measures. The chief minister’s subtle yet firm warning seemed to lack steam, as the frequency of such bomb attacks has only risen, thereafter. As for the developmental process, the maturity of a society reflects on the way the society as a group reacts to such unwanted incidents and the way it deals and communicates with the government during such times.
As expected, the unwarranted explosions have consumed much time and energy of both the public and the government and deservedly so, for, during such moment of violence valuable lives are lost. As compared to the other issues confronting the state, the consequences of such bomb blasts are immediate and needs immediate attention. But, explosions are not the only threats confronting the society today. Another aspect which is of utmost concern is the present trend of every other crime being followed by mob justice. Such trends of punishing the accused need to be treated with immediate restrain and some maturity, lest, there be no justification left for the presence of an elected government in the land. The authority to punish someone should be the sole responsibility of the government. The public can at best sieve out the accused and communicate to the state, so that the latter may follow the due legal process of punishing the accused.
One of life’s many ironies is that if exposed to a certain thing for a prolonged period of time, people gets accustomed to living with it; as is the case with Manipur, people are today accustomed living with the assurances and promises of the government for a better life. For long the people has been surviving on the assurances and promises of the state for a better and secure environment, and it is long overdue that the state turn it into a reality, lest, the people get accustomed to a life of fear and despair. While it is the moral obligation of the state to fulfil its promises, it is, in the same breath, the responsibility of the public to see that it is executed. The government’s inability, coupled with the insensitivity of the people in understanding the common good, has today left the public in a much threatened environment. Assurances and promises alone could not be the foundation to the welfare and protection of the state.
The society faces threats not only from anti-socials, but from immature and uncalled for decisions of the public which are acted out in the spur-of-the-moment. Any lack of communication and co-operation amongst the public and the state is also a threat to the society. The people, without treading upon the boundary line that separates it from the state, should be able to evoke and motivate its government to fulfil the development process of the society.